{Me, your mother, Derpy, Vision and the Doctor all gathered in the TARDIS. All of our original gang. You were there too, just outside the door, but you hadn't stepped inside, nor will I tell you what you had said or did during this next encounter. It was a somber affair anyway.
{For you see, the Master was already starting to regenerate.
Feather Wind telekinetically pulled the Red Crystal and the Mist Cloak free from the Master's hoof and into his. He examined the crystal and found it was perfectly intact, except a great deal of its magic had been drained. The Master used it to secure an entrance for the TARDIS. Feather Wind was saving that energy to save the Crystal Empire, and instead it was used to save the world. Now he had to build up that energy all over again.
“I see. So the Master was not a time clone all along either. If he was, he would simply fade away rather than regenerate, and you knew this would happen. So this was your true plan all along?” Feather Wind guessed as he looked at the Doctor. “You two were actually in cahoots together this whole time and only pretended to fight to . . . what? Win The Dark Star's trust or something?”
“I truly left nothing to chance,” the Doctor reported somberly. “I brought all the rest of you to help me defeat The Dark Star. I knew it would take a lot of energy to pull that off. I even suspected it would take more energy than I could ever pull into the TARDIS. I could not just disrupt the lives of every creature that ever will exist on the planet and pull them here as a time clone. It took enough energy as it was to create the time clones I did bring. I needed them to help me fight our way up to The Dark Star itself, for I definitely expected heavy physical, spiritual and psychological resistance. In the end, however, I also knew it would take far more power to defeat The Dark Star than I could possibly recruit within this machine, so I came up with this strategy. I needed the TARDIS itself to be here during the final battle, but this is where the corruption is at its strongest. I needed something here to pave the way for its entrance and, for that, we decided to pull a trick on The Dark Star. With the amount of power it had, The Dark Star could have easily thwarted any direct attempt to summon the TARDIS here, so that's why we did it in a moment it was too distracted defending itself.
“One way to make sure to win a game, my friend, is to secretly play both sides of the game. If your primary opponent is secretly working for you then there is no way you can actually lose the game.”
“But why was that necessary, Doc?” Derpy asked in confusion.
“Because if I didn't . . . if I didn't make sure that our primary antagonist was our secret ally . . . then The Dark Star would choose another champion in his place only, this time, that opponent would truly be against us.
“I know the Master. He and I go way back. I knew he was evil enough to trick The Dark Star into thinking he was an ally to it, but I also knew he cared for his daughter and would not wish to see her come to harm, so I also knew we had his secret loyalty.”
“You give me too much credit,” the Master spat in annoyance then coughed out blood again. He did that for several seconds. The Doctor once again aimed his sonic screwdriver at the Master and projected a sonic beam. This time, however, it was not to save the Master's life. It was to ease his suffering.
“Thank you,” the Master said more calmly. He was starting to look sleepy. At the same time, his body was glowing with brighter and brighter golden energy. He breathed softly, only occasionally coughing, then he said, “I did this because I do not like sharing power,” the Master explained with a bit of an evil grin. “The Dark Star had far too much power to share. It could have easily held sway over anything I wanted to conquer. If there's one thing I can't stand more than the Doctor, it's another despot trying to steal my thunder.” He coughed, then resumed. “I . . . could not trust The Dark Star to stay loyal to me. It's too stupid. It would unerringly be drawn to any dark creature and offer them just as much power, then it would stand back and watch who comes out on top except that, no matter who wins, it would repeat this cycle over and over again. I knew the struggle would never stop, so I decided to get rid of my opponent from the equation entirely. My daughter is . . . incidental.”
“Now you give yourself too little credit, my friend,” the Doctor said kindly.
The Master shrugged a bit. “In this case . . . you may be right.” He winced in tight pain as he glowed brighter. He acted as if his own regeneration energy hurt him.
“Was getting yourself killed part of your plan too?” Feather Wind asked the Master curiously.
The Doctor glared at somepony outside the door as he said, “Not really, no.” He looked back at the Master. “Fortunately, in this case, it didn't hit both of his hearts. As long as one endures, he will survive, but not as he is now. He will regenerate, and gain a new face.”
“Shame, that,” the Master lamented. “I kind of liked Card Shark. He was devious, and suave. He also built up a great financial empire in Los Pegasus. When I change, I'll lose ties to his identity so I may have to start from . . . scratch.” He winced tightly again as he flared even brighter golden energy. “It's not long now.”
“Go find Trixie and bring her here,” the Doctor called to the one standing outside the door. “She needs to see this. This is a family affair.”
“Um, the one standing outside the door is me, right?” Star Breeze in the future checked with her father.
“Um,” he felt reluctant to admit this, but eventually said, “Yes. Tell me this, then. Would you do it? Would you fetch Trixie and allow her to share one last moment with her dying father?”
“Before that, let me ask you something. Why would I kill the Master if I learned he was secretly on our side? That doesn't make any sense,” Star Breeze said with a little bit of guilt on her face.
“I actually don't know the answer to that question,” Feather Wind said honestly. “It's likely because, by hearing of your own timeline in advance, you created a fixed point in reality. I think that's what the Doctor would say. That's the danger in finding out about your own future. Once you hear it, it must occur. That's why I'm trying to give the power over your destiny right back to you as much as I possibly can by letting you decide now what you will do in this story. It's also possible you learned other reasons for doing this during your own adventures with the Doctor. Reasons that might help to eventually explain your actions on that day, and that is naturally something you can't account for today.”
“But he sounds upset with me!” Star Breeze complained. “So why would I do this? He'd kick me out of the TARDIS for this. I didn't know this would happen.”
“You certainly would not be welcome with this version of the Doctor, but there are others in his further future. Likely, by then, he had a chance to calm down and think things through and realize what you did on that day, you had to do. I think he eventually forgave you and invited you to go off on adventures to . . . stars only know where, or when. Time travel had to have occurred for you to be there in the first place so this situation had to resolve itself somehow. It may be there yet remains more secrets to uncover about your future but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It means there remains more mysteries for you to uncover. We already know what happens during that particular moment, but not necessarily why or how.”
“I see,” Star Breeze said somberly.
“It wasn't this version of the Doctor that drew you to this timeline anyway,” Feather Wind explained, “or maybe you did but you encountered another version of him first.” Suddenly he confused himself, then waved the whole issue off. “Anyway, you'll find out the details when you get there. In the meantime, I must ask you again, do you think your future self would obey the Doctor's request and fetch Trixie?”
“I think I'd do it just to see her face when he changes,” Star Breeze said in fascination, then amended. “Yes, I'd do it. The reasons aren't important right now. I'll figure that out when I get there.”
“Atta girl!” Feather Wind said proudly, then thought back.
Feather Wind heard the one outside depart, presumably to do as the Doctor requested. As it turned out, that didn't take long. Trixie responded so quickly one would think she was already standing right there.
“Oh! Did she appear in a puff of blue smoke?” Star Breeze asked excitedly. “Oh, please tell me she appeared in a puff of blue smoke!”
{Actually, yeah. She did.}
“Behold! The Great and Powerful Trixie has arrived to save you all from your imminent boredom!” Trixie declared dramatically upon arrival.
After coughing a bit because of the blue smoke, Stern Wing glared at Trixie. “Do you mind? Your father is dying right now. Have some respect.”
“Oh, that.” Trixie looked at her father dryly. “That doesn't matter, does it? You said he'd just regenerate and basically come back to life anyway.”
“Yeah, but not as he is,” Vision pointed out. “This is the last time you will ever see him like this. Even his cutie mark will change. You are losing your father today. After today, he will be somepony else.”
“Oh.” Now Trixie looked a lot more remorseful, but only to a point given her turbulent history with her father. She sat down near him. “So, um, Father . . . you got any last requests and stuff?”
“Just one. Leave,” the Master said with a growl of annoyance.
Trixie stared at her father for a moment, then shrugged carelessly. “Well, if that's what you want.”
“Yes, it is. I don't want you to see me change,” the Master said. “You're the only one I don't want to see me change.”
Trixie almost got up, but that last sentence made her hesitate. She looked back at her father questioningly. “Me? Why just me?”
“Because he loves you,” Vision informed. “Trust me, I'm an empath. I know these things.”
“And I'm aware of that ability. You think I don't know how to fool your senses?” the Master challenged Vision.
“Deceive others if you wish, but I see into the true depths of other's hearts,” Vision returned. “You can't fool me. Not when it comes to your deepest feelings.”
The Master growled at that, then complained, “Cheater. You suck the fun out of a good game of deception.”
“That's what I said to her many times too,” the Doctor agreed.
“Eh.” Vision shrugged. “It's what I do.”
The Master cringed and yelled in agony as he rolled off to his side away from his daughter as he glowed with a much brighter flare. By that point the crystal spear had been removed and his chest already repaired due to his own regeneration, but the process was not finished with him yet.
“He's in pain?” Trixie realized in alarm, then looked at the Doctor. “Can't you do anything for him? You are a doctor, are you not?”
“Yes, but not just medically,” the Doctor said as he waved his sonic screwdriver up and down the Master's body. “I'm afraid all I can do for him is ease his suffering a bit. Every one of our race goes through this in this process. It's like emerging from a cocoon to become a butterfly. The transformation is severe, and painful to emerge from.”
“Father!” Trixie cried out in alarm as she saw him again writhe in agony as another bright flare of energy projected from him. She was about to bend down and scoop up his hoof but Feather Wind caught her in a telekinetic aura and forcefully drew her back, to which she complained. “What are you doing? Let go of me! He needs me!”
“I read this process can be dangerous for others if you draw too close,” Feather Wind cautioned, then looked at the Doctor. “Right, Doctor?”
“It can be,” the Doctor said as he continued to wave his sonic screwdriver frantically. “Actually, it can heal you if you are injured but, if you're not injured, it can cause damage instead. It's like shocking the heart. It helps it if it stops, else it stops the heart when it's working fine. If all of you are perfectly healthy right now then stand back.”
“Father!” Trixie wailed as she was pulled all the way against the wall of the TARDIS. From there she did not resist too much, but she was still reaching towards her father.
“GO, Trixie!” the Master cried out in pain. “I want this to be the last way you remember me.”
“No!” she wailed. “I will not leave you, Father! Not like you left my mother.”
“Your mother.” The Master relaxed temporarily as nostalgia settled into him. “Sparkling Margarita! Now there was one bang-up gal! She knew how to party and give a gentlecolt a good time. Heh-heh.” He chuckled a bit. “Good times.”
“Is that more compassion I hear in your voice?” the Doctor teased but he was honestly quite hopeful.
“Not exactly,” Vision said. “What I am detecting this time isn't love. It's more like . . . predatory and primordial ownership, and I do sense he had fun with her. I dare not say how.”
The Master rolled onto his back as he looked upwards. A hoof rested gently on his forehead. “She wasn't the only one I hung out with, but she knew how to show a colt a good night out in the town. She was special to me in one regard, however. She gave me a daughter. I probably could have easily dismissed her into the trash like yesterday's newspaper if it weren't for that but, because she gave birth to my daughter, she became something I never had with any of my other flirts. At first I didn't want it. I was even tempted to kill her and you for it, but something stayed my hand.”
“Your what?” Trixie asked in sudden confusion.
“It's a kind of limb where they come from,” Feather Wind explained to Trixie. “It's normally located in the upper part of their body and attached to the shoulders. It permits them to grasp things.”
“Oh. So it's alien and gross?” Trixie figured.
Feather Wind sighed, then said, “Pretty much, yeah.”
“I think, at first . . . my mind spun with possibilities,” the Master rambled on. “I tried to rationalize my thoughts. Why would I not wish to kill you? Maybe I could use you in some evil scheme somehow? Perhaps bring me back to life? Or maybe I could possess you. Eh. So many possibilities.”
“I bet there was one that didn't occur to you back then, though it may very well be the truth,” the Doctor broached.
“Save your sickening speeches, Doctor,” the Master said in irritation. “I'm in no mood for . . . Gah!” He rolled over again as he flared far more brightly.
“This is it, folks!” the Doctor warned as he waved for everyone to back off. “Here it comes!”
“Doctor! I beat you!” the Master growled intensely and instantly. “You'll see! I had my own plan as well. That's the only thing we share together.”
“Be at peace, my friend,” the Doctor said a little sadly. “It will be over soon.”
The Master doubled over as his energy momentarily shrank around his body, then it exploded out from him in a brilliant flare, especially around his head and limbs. During that whole time, he was constantly shouting out.
“Father!” Trixie cried out desperately, then she just cried.
{I believe even Trixie was not aware how much she cared for him. Sometimes one never knows such things until it's gone. That is the sad, cruel fate of the world sometimes. I also remember thinking that Trixie's mere existence helped to save the world back then. If it weren't for her, the Master might have been honestly more tempted to join The Dark Star for real. Something stayed his hoof from doing that just like something held him back from killing his daughter when she was born. It was an emotion he was not familiar with, so he did not know how to identify it. It made him behave strangely and he likely had not liked it. It made him feel weak, at least to his perspective, yet he could not bear to part with the gift he gained. Certainly I, at this point, know how profound fatherhood can feel. I even thought that back then, except for me it was something to look forward to.
{I think this whole process lasted about twelve seconds from the point the brilliant explosion started. His face started to change around the eighth second but none of it was clear until the process was done. When it was done, he bent over again. His mane became a lot thicker and bushier, and it was deep scarlet this time. Also a little wavy.}
“Fah . . . father?” Trixie cried out tentatively.
The new figure before them remained bent over for a while so it was hard to tell anything else, but eventually he uncurled himself enough to tell the fact that he had, in fact, become a she.
“Well!” she said as she breathed in deep. “This is certainly interesting.”
The new mare before them appeared just a little bit under middle age but approaching it. It was a very mature body but not quite old yet. She had thicker eyebrows and thicker lips. Her coat was almost white this time but it was a bit darker, more like ivory. She touched her face to explore its new shape then centered her attention on her lips, then requested, “Will somepony please get me a mirror?”
“My father . . . is now my mother?!” Trixie exclaimed in shock as she looked severely taken aback. Her eyes grew small and her mouth hung open crookedly.
“I told you, your father is dead now,” Vision said bluntly.
“And your mother is still your mother,” Feather Wind corrected. “This person is . . . somepony else.”
“Mirror!” the Master demanded more firmly.
“Oh, um,” the Doctor shook his head to clear it. “Your assistance is required, Miss Hooves.”
But Derpy could not move. She just remained suspended with one eye focused on the new mare before her and the other eye lazily drifted away. Her mouth hung wide open, slack-jawed. Due to her reaction, Feather Wind privately suspected that this was the first time the mare had ever seen a Time Lord regenerate. Considering the fact that she met the Doctor before Feather Wind did, Feather Wind personally considered this observation noteworthy.
“I'll get it,” Stern Wing offered, then looked around, trying to get her bearings again. It had been ten years since she was last in this place, but she managed to find her way around without too much difficulty.
“So, Doctor . . . how do I look?” the Master asked while leaning back on the console behind her.
“Like, um . . . pretty good, I'd say,” the Doctor said numbly.
“Why Doctor!” the Master bat several flirty eyelashes towards him. “Are you blushing?”
“Um,” the Doctor rubbed the back of his neck and seemed embarrassed and uncomfortable. “I don't know. Am I?”
“The Doctor fears girls sometimes,” Vision reported. “He feels they gang up on him occasionally.”
“Really?!” the Master smiled towards the Doctor deviously. “That's good to know!”
“You didn't have to tell her that!” the Doctor complained to Vision in a loud whisper.
“A mare always knows a stallion's weaknesses, Doctor,” Vision said back to him. “She would have found out anyway.”
“But you could have given me that head start!” the Doctor complained more tightly. “Whose side are you on?”
“Why Doctor . . . are you starting to feel a little bit ganged up upon?” the Master teased in a husky voice.
“What the hay, Vision! Now look what you started!” the Doctor cried out in irritation.
Suddenly the Master spun about and flipped through several controls of the TARDIS. The machine groaned to life for a moment but then died back down again. The Master sighed then peered narrowly at the Doctor who was aiming an emitting sonic screwdriver at the console.
“This stallion is not so slow in the race after all, now is he?” the Doctor taunted with a cocky grin to his frenemy.
“I knew that,” The Master sighed with irritation. “I was just testing you. Seeing if you were still alert. You are, so you pass the test, I guess.”
“You were just going to leave our friends?” Feather Wind asked in disbelief. “Your daughter is still standing here, you know.”
“Not my daughter anymore,” the Master said dismissively. “I would have taken care of her eventually.” Just then she noticed something as she looked back at her flank. It was blank. This made her frown.
“It's a new life. You'll have to discover your own special talent all over again,” Vision informed, responding to the feelings she sensed from the Master and also what she saw from her sonar vision.
“Yeah. It's just that I'll miss my old talent. It had such flair,” the Master said a little remorsefully.
Trixie just could not talk anymore. All she could do was shift her eyes to each pony that spoke, otherwise she remained frozen with her expression stuck in intense surprise.
“Here's your mirror,” Stern Wing said as she came into the room with it. “Did I just hear the TARDIS about to start up?”
“Yes. Our new friend decided to test my reflexes. I passed,” the Doctor bragged proudly.
“Good to know.” Stern Wing placed the mirror in front of the Master and warned firmly, “I'm keeping an eye on you.” -Mark-
“You know, your boyfriend said that to me none too long ago,” the Master remarked as she tilted her head back and forth to look at herself from different angles in front of the hoof mirror. “Better be careful or he might get jealous of your newfound attention towards me.”
“Oh please. You can't compete with me,” Stern Wing said smugly and dismissively.
“Ooo!” The Master flashed Stern Wing a devilish wink. “I like you!”
“I don't think the feeling is mutual yet,” Stern Wing said in a warning tone.
“Even better! I like a challenge!” the Master said to Stern Wing then resumed examining herself. Stern Wing, meanwhile, rolled her eyes in disgust.
“So, um . . . what do you think of the pony universe?” the Doctor asked the Master with a rising edge of excitement in his voice. He had been waiting a long time to ask somepony who would actually understand that question.
“Pretty sickening,” the Master answered with disgust then gave the Doctor a dull look. “Come on. A universe with magical talking horses, flying pegasus and unicorns? Whatever sick, twisted imagination came up with this universe probably has a mind of a child, and a little girl at that. I mean, come on! I have literally seen a pink, fluffy unicorn dancing on rainbows.”
The Master grew a bit alarmed as she observed the Doctor as he trotted right up to her. Feeling slightly uncomfortable and invaded, she took an unconscious step back and asked, “What?”
“You said 'child' instead of 'foal',” the Doctor said as tears of joy rose into his eyes.
“Yeah? So?”
The Doctor suddenly embraced the Master in a grateful hug that made her freeze up and then grew a dull, annoyed look in her eyes. As the hug continued he cried out, “You said child! You said child! At last, I am not alone in this universe!”
“Get . . . off of me!” the Master ordered tightly. “I still hate you, Doctor!”
“I'm sorry. I'm sorry,” the Doctor apologized as he backed off and wiped tears from his eyes. “It's just that . . . I've been so surrounded until you came along. You're a wonderful blessing to me, and admit it.” He trotted away as he called back to her over his right shoulder. “You love me too.”
The Master could not say it, but there was a bit of a fond look that crept into her eyes and her grin towards the Doctor.
xoxo
“I want to ask you something, Dad,” Star Breeze broached. “Actually, it's more of an observation. You once told me awhile back that every villain you met had a trace of redeemable features about them, so what about The Dark Star or the dragon Fang?”
“Hmm. I believe what I told you was that every pony villain I ever met had traces of redeemable qualities. You might actually have a point about Fang, at least as far as I understood him, but The Dark Star is a matter of more complicated philosophy when it comes to morality.
“If you really stop and think about it, The Dark Star came from the Black Sun which, as far as my understanding is concerned, the Black Sun was actually a sentient black hole. It was an innocent victim of its own circumstance. The Black Sun was just a normal black hole until it started devouring a magical and sentient star. That, in turn, awakened its own intelligence. An intelligence awakened like that would only understand two things, darkness and hunger. As far as morality was concerned, however, it never understood the difference in the first place. If you could float up to the Black Sun and accuse it to its face, 'You're evil!', then the Black Sun would innocently shrug and respond, 'Okay. If you say so. I don't know the meaning of the word evil and I have no basis of comparison to make a counter argument so, for now, I'll accept your word by default because I don't know any better.'
“All the Black Sun understood was its own nature. Since it had always existed in that state as far back as it could remember, then that state was its own definition of the word 'normal'. From the Black Sun's perspective, we are the ones who are evil because we are behaving in a manner contrary to the Black Sun's definition of normal.
“In its eyes, attempting to corrupt and consume all life was a matter of salvation, and since the Black Sun, and by extension The Dark Star, was unable to experience light, goodness and hope, then the truth was it didn't really have free will. It was stuck in its ways like a train on a track. Since it couldn't even change its own course, it really was a victim of its own circumstance.
“Being a victim or being understandable doesn't always equate to redeemable. The Black Sun and The Dark Star hadn't even seen that as necessary. Instead, it is we who can apply light and goodness towards them by forgiving them for their sins, for they truly do not know what they do.”
“What do you think happened to the Black Sun after it finished its primary food source that fed it life?” Star Breeze asked curiously.
Feather Wind leaned back as he thought about it, then answered, “I'm really not sure, but I've narrowed it down to two possibilities. Either it's still out there, plotting how to consume everything else, or more likely it consumed its own intelligence when it lost the source that gave it sentience in the first place, in which case it probably devolved back into a normal black hole. Having nothing else left to satiate its hunger, I believe it turned to the last morsel it could think of but, before you go thinking about how sorry you feel for it, remember that, even in this circumstance, it probably still had not considered itself a victim. It was likely masochistic enough to enjoy its own suffering. If you went back in time to try to save it at this point, it would beg you to stop, instead claiming that devouring its own mind was fun then, when the last shred of its ego was devoured, it became empty of all thoughts which, in its own way, equates to purity and divinity. In a way it achieved its own form of enlightenment by getting rid of all thoughts, including negative thoughts. Ever since then, it existed as a normal black hole again.
“Black holes, I have learned, serve a very important and invaluable role in the universe. They do crush and consume everything that draws too close, but they also create a powerful gravity field around them that serves as both stability and movement for the rest of the galaxy around them. They are the glue that holds things together. Without black holes, each galaxy would tear itself apart. All celestial bodies would just drift away in space and, the more it does so, the colder and darker things would become. United we live, divided we fall. We must be grateful to black holes. Without their invaluable contribution, life would not have evolved in the first place.
“Compare that to what many would consider the opposite of a black hole, and that is the stars in the sky. They emit light instead of darkness and they project energy instead of sucking it in. It is their warmth and energy that helps breathe life on other worlds, and the gravity the stars produce also facilitate stability and motion. Just like a black hole, however, the stars become downright lethal for multiple reasons if you draw anywhere near them in outer space unprotected. So, you see, the very thing that can cause life can also take it away, and none of it has to do with conscious morality. I have also found nature itself to exist with similar checks and balances, even at microscopic levels.
“So you see, the morality of this whole issue was quite complicated. In the shadow plane, The Dark Star still thinks it's doing us a favor by trying to corrupt us into darkness, and it's genuinely confused as to why many of us refuse its dark gifts when it thinks we should consider it a blessing, but each of us has a more evolved consciousness, and it's advanced enough to realize and make intelligent and informed choices based on the mind and based on the heart. When The Dark Star offers its 'gifts', nothing is forcing us to accept it. We can just refuse, and instead forge our own path.
“Does this answer your question?”
“For now, yes,” Star Breeze answered, “but I think I need more time to think about what you said and digest it. Right now I think I'm ready to listen to more of your story.”
“Fair enough.”
xoxo
{The land had not instantly recovered just when The Dark Star disappeared. In fact, with less magic within the land compared to the future, it would take longer to recover than those from the future would normally expect. Still, this area had over forty-thousand years to recover before catching up to the present and almost every creature here knew that. Point of fact, though, that was not fast enough for the TARDIS to just warp out without protection. It seems to me we could have used the Crystal Heart for that all along. That honestly wasn't a bad idea but, in this case, Discord agreed to teleport every creature back to Panjora, TARDIS and all. There was one friend we would be leaving behind, however, and it was one of our most recent companions.}
“The Master's new incarnation?” Star Breeze guessed.
{No. It was the Crystal Carriage.
{We all gathered together for one final moment to say goodbye to it. We did so by singing to it. Most of us joined in that song, but not all. I'm pretty sure the Master just rolled her eyes and we did have to reintroduce her to the rest of our friends but . . . I'll get back to that later.
{The Crystal Carriage glowed with an ever increasing prismatic shine as we sang to it. Towards the end of the song it steadily started to shrink and sink into the earth, presumably to help repair the local environment back to a harmonious state. I'll never forget what it looked like near the end of that transformation. It looked like a beautiful crystal tree which several of my other friends told me was what the Tree of Harmony looked like except, at first, it was missing the symbols on it. Just before it sank into the earth for the final time, however, those symbols had appeared on its branches and trunk. They appeared in a flash of different colored lights for each symbol, and they appeared one at a time, the symbol of magic flashing last towards the top of the trunk.
{There was something I remember thinking at the time while I watched that. It was really more of a feeling I got, and that feeling seemed to be a message from the tree just before it sank into the earth. If I were to put those feelings into words, it would translate thusly, “I will remember what you have taught me, and I will be sure to pass on this message throughout all the ages. Goodbye, my cherished friends.”
{After that, I recall thinking that other Starlight Dust comets have crashed into the planet before, but none of them were as educated as this one giant chunk, and recall also that the other comets burned up in the atmosphere far more than this one did.
{We called upon it, indeed prayed upon it, as a large group of us gathered together to assist in Star Swirl's spell which helped to deal the final blow against the giant unliving dragon Fang. Star Swirl did not explain what he was casting at the time. I guess his friends simply trusted him but, deep in every one of our friend's hearts, they prayed for salvation and, when Star Swirl opened his giant portal, this comet was what came through. After that we all touched it and imbued it with the essence of our spirit, including the future time clone copies of the Elements of Harmony, excluding kindness, until the very end when we sent it away.
{Then it sank into the earth and I had a feeling that this one crystal would teach the other Starlight Dust crystals the lessons it had learned. As the lesson continued to get passed on, the message and spirit of harmony gradually covered the world. It took it a very long time to accomplish that goal, but we're living in an age that is the fruition of its tireless labor.
{Most of us were temporary time clones at the time, but we managed to not only save the world from a malevolent force, we also planted the seeds of a benevolent force which worked to our favor ever after. If my theory is correct, the Pillars of Destiny gave this force even more definition when they planted the seeds of their own spirits which later created the Tree of Harmony, but its essence lingered long before that. It existed in our land, our oceans, our rivers and lakes, our skies, everything . . . and most importantly, it existed in us, waiting to be born so it could fulfill a promise it made so long ago to even greater effect. Essentially we created a self-fulfilling prophecy.
{Well, I said I would get back to this later. Since this was a fact already completed before I get to the next part, I'll go ahead and mention the fact that the Master was reintroduced to the rest of the party and the Doctor explained in fuller detail his brilliant plan to help save the world. Around that time, the Master also made a seemingly spontaneous decision. She told everyone to call her “Missy” until she could think of a better cover identity for her new self.
{Of course our friends felt a little reserved to welcome her back after her previous life's betrayal, but the explanation the Doctor gave calmed their nerves somewhat and the plan had ultimately succeeded in the end. Plus, I have to say, we had a very forgiving group.
{Among those outside the TARDIS after Missy's transformation, Rarity was the first to approach the new mare on friendly terms and she did it by announcing that Missy's old attire was a travesty for a mare that must be corrected as soon as possible. Missy looked at her attire then actually agreed with the fashionista, then claimed she would welcome Rarity's help to come up with a new, more appropriate attire to help match a new life.
{So with that out of the way, now I'll mention the fact that we were all whisked back to Panjora. The TARDIS was teleported back to the crystal cage that initially protected it so it could enter this time period. It would need to remain there in order to gather the strength necessary to warp out later on. Meanwhile me, Twilight and Starlight also met up with Sun Burst once again to gather a full report on what happened in the city while we were gone.}
“Wait, who?” Star Breeze asked in confusion.
“I did mention Sun Burst very briefly previously when he first entered this world. At the time I think I only mentioned his name. Now I'll add the fact that he was a wizardly-scholar that did not have that much talent for casting magic itself, but a whole lot of talent when it came to knowledge about it. Since we knew he was not a fighter but a scholar, it was deemed appropriate to leave him behind in Panjora so he could use his knowledge to help organize the society while the rest of us were away, especially in terms of the continued development of crystal science. We hadn't known how long we would be gone, so we wanted to leave the city, and all that it influenced, in good hooves. Sun Burst wanted to do this anyway. He was overjoyed for a long chance to study an ancient civilization that got lost to all known Equestrian records. I can't tell you how many notes he's collected over the years, and I thought I was a prolific writer.”
{Another thing I will mention was your mother and I decided that it was finally time to get married. We had already considered doing it in this time period along with friends and family that would not exist in our own native timeline. Towards the end of our northern march, however, we grew too busy to seriously consider it further. I don't think it crossed either of our minds even once while Fluttershy was apparently ponynapped. We could not fully relax nor fully get into the joy and spirit of the ceremony knowing she was missing and potentially in pain but, after we had regathered all of our friends, we turned our attention to this issue once again and decided that it was finally time.
{Now the reason I won't go into full detail of this is because you will choose to become more fully involved. Since you revealed yourself anyway when you attacked the Master, you also came more clean about your reason and purpose in this timeline. Subsequently, you also became more involved in the wedding ceremony which was something I trust you had looked forward to many years prior, primarily because of what I'm telling you right now, and also because of what I'm not telling you now. For now, I'll leave most of it to your imagination but know that, eventually, you will experience it yourself in full detail.
{I will say that was a meaningful moment for my parents and uncle, and most especially to your grandmother Silver Shine. She knew, by then, there was no way she would live long enough to ever see her granddaughter in any other way other than what she went through back then, so this was her one chance to connect with you for the first and last time. Again, I'll leave it at that. Even if I wanted to tell you what happened between you, I have a keen feeling a lot of it happened behind my back anyway.
{I also won't go into detail how long the ceremony took to prepare for other than by saying it was more than one day. Again, I'll leave it for you to discover the full details when you get there.}
Feather Wind chuckled as he recalled something amusing, then he decided to go ahead and add this one little detail.
{I will say one thing near the conclusion of the ceremony that happened that was kind of funny. You weren't there anyway so it's safe to tell you this. Even if you were there, I kind of doubt you'd remember this detail after all these years but . . . when your mother tossed the bouquet of flowers over her, Rarity suddenly became a savage beast and tore her way towards it to catch it with startling determination. I already found that surprisingly out of character for her considering she was supposed to be the Element of Generosity, but I was even more surprised, and amused, when Applejack threw down her hat to the ground in frustration and cursed Rarity with colorful descriptions of rotting apples for doing this again. In response, Rarity claimed she just could not help herself. Applejack rolled her eyes and replied that she wished Rarity would get married already so the rest of the mares in the ceremony would have a fair chance to catch the bouquet of flowers instead of her for once.}
Star Breeze giggled.
Feather Wind tapped his hoof on the ground with a thoughtful look, trying to recall if there was anything else he should add that he could recall was important and was something the future version of his daughter was not involved with. He drew a blank at many turns either because there was nothing worth mentioning or his daughter got too involved by that point. There was a lot he could have mentioned, but he figured he would leave it to his daughter to discover this for herself someday. It was a cherished memory for him, and something to look forward to for her. There was no need to spoil everything for her now.
{There is a lot I can't mention at this point because of your future involvement. For now, I'll leave that to your imagination. You have plenty of time to decide what will happen but, mind you, the end results might still surprise you. You can't plan for everything in the future and, no matter what you think now, you had plenty of time to change your mind by then and you did it for reasons that have not even occurred to you yet. It's still a good mental exercise whenever you decide to explore this, and someday what you imagine of the future will become a cherished memory of the past.
{Another thing I'll briefly mention was that we finally found out how to ignite those flameless fireworks the Doctor had been storing in the TARDIS for quite some time now. Apparently they needed love to ignite, and there was plenty of that to go around at the conclusion of the ceremony. Trixie was especially captivated by them, then forcefully grabbed the Doctor's cheeks to direct his attention towards her as she demanded to know the recipe to make them.
{But then, after the ceremony and . . . several other things that happened . . . it was time for us all to depart. Here's where I'll mention a new plot twist; your grandfather and grandmother, Author Scroll and Silver Shine respectively, did not join us for the return trip. They really were time clones, but somehow the Doctor altered them so they could age appropriately. I can't even tell you when he did it. Maybe it was true all along because, somehow, he knew they would one day decide this. My original father still waited for me back in my own time, totally oblivious to what his time clone copy of himself had done in the ancient past, but that time clone copy knew that Silver Shine was not in that future, and he wanted to spend the rest of his days with her as much as he could. He also decided this because he knew it would not take away anything from me. He knew his original self waited for me back when I came from but he, himself, could not bear to part from his beloved wife a second time.
{I asked them if they were sure about this decision and realized, as soon as I asked it, that was a stupid question. Part of me was even tempted to remain behind so that I could also be with my mother once again. She bid me to leave though so I could live out my life to my fullest back in my own time. She said I kept my new wife and myself from my other friends and family in my time long enough and, since I was one of the few real ones there, my decisions had lasting consequences. Besides, she reminded me I had other important objectives to accomplish in my timeline as well and we could not risk deviating from it so I hugged her tightly as tears squeezed out of my eyes. I barely croaked out the words that expressed how much I loved her. She said she knew, and she gave me one last loving lullaby. My emotions swam like an ocean current when I heard her voice singing to me with such passion and love, and it brought with it a treasure trove of nostalgic memories. It was a moment that taught me how fragile and precious life really is, and I felt assured that I would encounter her spirit again when I pass on someday.
{I believe my Red Crystal absorbed all that emotion without me even thinking about it. As I grew more attuned to the crystal so, too, did it grow more attuned to me. We both changed, and it learned to anticipate when I would want it to absorb the positive emotions around me. Considering how the Master emptied the crystal to help him summon the TARDIS, I also knew I had a long way to go to refill it so that it could one day save the Crystal Empire.}
Star Breeze privately wondered around that time if temporary time clones could create permanent foals in the ancient past. If so, they probably were the first true unicorns the world had ever seen born in that timeline that also lived among them as permanent residents, and they had a pretty powerful bloodline at that.
{Before I parted from my mother's warm and loving hug, she whispered into my ear and begged me not to look back as I turn away to leave. That was a very hard request but, when I finally did part from her, I went into the TARDIS and I did not look back. I was still aware that Stern Wing hugged my mother right after me, but I did not see it directly. I just knew it in my gut.
{Life is a gift, Star Breeze. Cherish it while you can. As a reward for all my heroic deeds and those I was still committed to accomplishing later, I had one last chance to get to know my mother over those past two years, and those are memories I added to my already formidable collection of cherished memories. There is more to come as well, even beyond our lives. To find out what happens next, all I had to do was turn the page in this book of my life.}
xoxo
{Oh! I just remembered something important I should mention right now. Before I entered into the TARDIS to depart from this timeline, I heard my name whispered in the wind. I turned to look for the source of that voice and I saw a cloaked figure standing behind a tree. When I saw her eyes, I saw that she was blind, and I immediately realized who this was.}
“Um, excuse me for a moment. I'll catch up,” Feather Wind called to those who were gathering inside the TARDIS then he left to gallop his way to meet with the older version of Vision in secret. As he drew closer, she backed off further behind the tree to remain unseen, likely from her past self in particular. “Well hello, Vision,” Feather Wind greeted upon arrival. “It's nice to see you again.”
“That makes one of us,” Vision said bluntly.
Feather Wind was taken aback for a moment because she made it sound like it was actually unpleasant to encounter him again, but then he realized she was being literal when it came to the specific word, “see”. At that point Feather Wind gained a dull expression as he said with annoyance and slight amusement, “Must you put it that way? You know what I mean.”
“Of course I do,” the older Vision said with a slight giggle. After she calmed down, she said, “The truth is, I called you here because I know this will be the last time we will encounter each other as we are right now. This is actually true going both ways. We both change a lot from this point on. You still have your own journey, and I have mine. There are a few more adventures my past self will share with you, but between us as we are right now . . . this is it. This is our final goodbye together.”
Feather Wind regarded her fondly. “It's been one amazing ride together, hasn't it? We were there for you since you were a little filly. In a way, I kind of feel like your father, which is odd considering you always seemed to have wisdom even beyond my years. It's been a strange relationship, but a very good one. We saved each other's lives so many times as well as others, and now we move on to experience the reward of that effort. Wherever you go and whatever you do, know that you'll always have a very special place in my heart.”
“And I, you,” Vision returned evenly, then she said, “There is one more reason I called you out here.” She turned her head back and reached into her saddlebag. From there, she pulled out a book with her mouth. She turned her head forward again to offer it to Feather Wind. Feather Wind seized it in a silver magical aura and had it float in front of him where he proceeded to read the title out loud.
“'Predictions and Prophecies'.” Feather Wind read aloud, then shrugged as he steered the book floating off to the side in order to look at her again. “Yeah. Sounds like something you would write, although I'm curious how you pulled this off since you can't read or write, unless somehow you learned how since the time of your younger self.”
“I've gained plenty of ways to circumvent my former weaknesses over the years,” older Vision explained to Feather Wind. “Also note that book is not meant for you,” Vision informed him. “You may copy it and read it in your crystal gem at your leisure, but know that the vast majority of the prophecies the book talks about is ahead of your timeline and, because of our time traveling adventures, we already know the results of more than half of them anyway.
“Rather than you, the book itself is actually meant for Princess Celestia, and not the version in the TARDIS right now. She'll soon disappear anyway, so it will not avail her. Besides, many of the predictions in that book already came true in her timeline, so there really is no point in her reading it again.”
“In that case, you mean the version of her in my timeline,” Feather Wind realized calmly.
Vision nodded. “Correct. I wrote her this book because I know my past self will not be around much longer to continue her services to the princess and, as much as she might hate to admit it, she has grown rather accustomed to my past self's assistance. I have helped guide her to save innocent pony lives many times, after all. That is among her beloved citizens. She's more than grateful for that which is why she has also come to rely upon it. Since I also know my past self will stop becoming available soon, I'm leaving her this book to help replace me and also serve to give her hope for a brighter future. Give it to her with all my love, but also tell her the following message.” Vision took a single step forward as if to emphasize what she was about to say next was especially important. “Tell her the future is always up to us. Tell her that the future is always a choice, so advise her to make it a good one.”
“I will tell her, my friend. I promise.” After Feather Wind said that, he trotted up to her and embraced her in a warm hug. “Goodbye, my friend. Wherever the stars take you, know that I will always hear you in the wind if you call out my name.”
“I wish you peace and fulfillment in your own journey as well. Tell your daughter in the future about this conversation as well, and the fact that I wish her well in her journey too.”
Star Breeze blushed happily after hearing that.
“I will,” Feather Wind promised again in the past.
When they parted from the hug, Feather Wind watched the older version of Vision back off then sat down in a meditative pose. She crossed her hind legs and sat up straight. At first her forelegs were held up to her sides. She made a humming noise with her throat which was shortly later copied by her sonic eyes. As she opened her eyes steadily, not only did the noise get louder, but Feather Wind could also see her eyes glowing pure white. As this process continued, she steadily started to float off the ground to a maximum of three feet. Eventually she smashed her fore hooves together then disappeared in a flash reminiscent of Discord's powers except the whole process was way slower. The whole process took about half a minute.
This made Feather Wind realize how she was able to suddenly appear whenever and wherever she was needed in this timeline. She could teleport through time and space at will without the need to use a potion anymore, and her psychic visions also gave her a heads up before she arrived there. He had to admit to himself, that was a very nifty set of powers.
Looking somewhat fondly at the spot she was once on, he soon realized there was nothing left for him here anymore so he trotted back to the TARDIS with the book she gave him floating beside him. He eventually transferred it to the younger Vision's dimensional saddlebag for temporary safe keeping. It was a little mind boggling to realize that was the same saddlebag her older self would pull the book out of shortly after it was created only to go right back into the same bag temporarily in the past.
xoxo
{When the rest of us, excluding my parents, you (because you had your own alternative), and those native to that timeline all gathered inside the TARDIS I marveled, for a moment, how crowded it seemed. I've been in this thing through many wonderful adventures and I had never seen it with so much company before.
{Pinkie Pie was especially rambunctious. She was bouncing all over the place and asking what all sorts of buttons on the console of the TARDIS did. Being the genius that he was, the Doctor wisely made sure the console controls were locked before she started recklessly playing with it. Nevertheless, I half expected her to succeed to use the TARDIS anyway using raw instinct alone or some other kind of freaky, reality-bending logic.
{While her abilities could often make her both comical and mysterious, I also learned, long ago, it was unwise to underestimate her. The ability to surprise others tends to be a major shtick with her because it's part and parcel of the Element of Laughter, so I therefore learned to remain on my guard around her despite how much I also enjoyed her antics.
{Her friends had a difficult time to get her to settle until shortly after we started to take off. Around that time, some creature mentioned that what they were doing was basically marching towards their deaths.
{Those words quickly soured the mood of all those gathered there except for maybe Missy but, since her previous life daughter was among those time clones, it was possible that this fact stung her as well. After everything Missy sacrificed to protect her daughter, this version of Trixie was about to fade away into oblivion and only a few would be left to remember what happened.
{For all the time clones that had gathered there, this was the finest adventure that never happened to them.
{This was one of the massive downsides of the Doctor's strategy. It gave them a lot of neat advantages during their stay in the ancient past and it allowed them to help without causing a major disruption in their own native timeline. This was just a side story to them, one that would shortly be erased to all but a few.
{The Doctor said he did not need to drop them off one by one. There was a cluster of pulsars, quasars, black holes and all kinds of unusual spatial anomalies he could fly past that would erase them all at once, and he figured that would be more merciful than having them wait one by one for their turn at virtual extinction.
{I will say that Discord offered to give them a permanent home so that they did not have to fade away. He even offered to recreate their entire world so they could live out the rest of their lives on it. I have to say that the offer might have tempted some of them, but Applejack put an end to that would-be discussion by putting her hat on her chest and said she had to be honest with the fact that, although the offer was greatly appreciated, Discord's chaotic powers would never be able to recreate the world exactly how they left it, and those gathered here had friends and family they wished to return to. Facing oblivion was preferable to a lifetime of solitude away from the loved ones who were not here.
{I looked at them all in their somber mood. I noticed how Pinkie Pie's mane got deflated again like a balloon that had lost its air. That was never a good sign, and one disheartening to see. A lot of them were nearly in tears, including me. We'd been through so much together and it hadn't felt right that their only reward for all their hard work was to get erased from existence, but this was the natural consequence of the Doctor's plan all along. Win or lose, they would fade away either way. At least they got to go down with the solace of knowing they helped to save the world, and they also knew there was a small hooful of them that could remember all of their remarkable deeds. I had recorded a great deal of it myself.
{They all knew this was coming but, when the moment came, it was so depressing to see them in pain and simply wait for the end to come to them. These were all such very good souls. They deserved way better than this, especially after all that they had accomplished together.}
“Doctor, what are you doing?” Missy asked out of the blue while the depressed crowd waited for the end.
Intrigued, Feather Wind looked back himself to see the Doctor with a determined and somewhat excited look on his face.
“What I need to do!” the Doctor said with determination and focus as he kept fiddling with the TARDIS controls. “What needs to be done. You've all done so much for me. You've all sacrificed so much to help me succeed in my mission. I cannot, in good conscience, send you off to oblivion without one last hurrah.”
“Where are you taking us, Doctor?” Princess Celestia asked as she approached and spread her wings just slightly.
“He's delaying the inevitable, that's what,” Missy said with sour disapproval. “That's what he always does. Doctor, you're only making it harder for them in the long run. You're giving them more time to contemplate their doom. Usually I'd be the first to celebrate this but, in this case, the issue is kind of personal to me.”
Around the end of that sentence, the TARDIS groaned to a stop then there was a plop sound as the TARDIS gained full solidity on wherever it landed.
The Doctor sighed as he bowed his head over the controls, then he looked around at all the beloved friends gathered around him in the TARDIS, and he said, “I have never had this many companions join me on one of my adventures before, especially not a single adventure that lasted this long. Time clones or no, you all selflessly sacrificed a moment of your time to help me save your world. Even you, Missy, someone who usually is my greatest nemesis.” He glanced at Missy as he spoke to her then resumed his speech with another scan around those gathered around him. “In that whole time, you've endured the loss of missing your friends and family back in your homes, and we've all endured the worst nightmares the source of all evil magic in Equestria could throw at us. You've all demonstrated why you are all such extraordinary friends and, in my eyes, you are all legendary. Every . . . single . . . one of you. For all that you have done for me and for all that you have endured, I offer you a choice. You can face oblivion now. I will understand if you find that easier, or you can join me on one last grand adventure, and this time I promise you it will be fun.”
“Fun?” Pinkie Pie repeated. Her intrigue and excitement immediately perked her up. Her mane instantly inflated again back to its usual bouncy, cotton candy-like substance.
“Yes, my pink filly friend, fun!” the Doctor promised more enthusiastically. “Beyond the doors of the TARDIS,” he gestured to the exit, “is an exotic island adventure designed for vacation purposes to all that visit this place. It has exotic animals, and spas, and swimming pools, and water slides, and waterfalls, and clear crisp oceans, and libraries, and gorgeous skies, and parties, and jungle adventures, and gem caves, and games. It has all kinds of stuff for every single one of you and, best of all,” he stood up and threw up his forelegs in an explosion of excitement as he said, “IT'S ALL COMPLETELY FREE!” He landed back on his four legs. “That's right, my friends! The natives here have access to unlimited resources. I won't say how, but I guarantee you it's not malevolent. I can assure you of that, else I would not have brought you all here. It is a pleasure for the natives who live here to meet aliens from all over the galaxy and universe. They choose to live here specifically for that purpose, so their only goal in life is to please you as much as possible. Some of them are very wise as well, and can help you through deep psychological issues. So what do you say, my friends? Will you join me on one last, grand adventure together?”
{They all took a long moment to debate this, and most of them were pushing for it. At first Celestia argued that they should not delay the inevitable too long and that they should remain on the island no more than one day, but she was haggled up to accepting one week.
{So we spent a week on the island paradise which successfully lifted our spirits. Fluttershy communed with the local animals. Rarity hung out at the beach, spa and gem cave. Rainbow Dash was all over the place, often hanging out with her friends, including the Wonderbolts. Twilight spent less time in the library than I suspected she would. Mostly she just hung out with her friends or relaxed at the beach. Sun Burst was all over that library himself. Pinkie Pie partied hard of course, and made a big splash with her cannonballs in the swimming pool that splashed out over half of the water, and again I had to remind myself, with a blink of astonishment, never to question her. Applejack mostly just spent time with her friends and she enjoyed the local cuisine, though she criticized a few of them.
Come to think of it, I'd be repeating myself too often if I went through them all one by one and kept mentioning the fact that they just hung out with their friends. Arguably it was one of the biggest points of our stay there. A lot of them also told me more of their adventures, including more about what happened with that epic battle against Fang and the other monsters.
{A few special notes; I was pleased to see Trixie hanging out with Missy on a pleasant basis, her own former father. The Master's transformation into Missy apparently gave them a chance to connect in a brand new way. It was like a fresh start, and this time their relationship proceeded far more positively. I suspected that the most important factor was that there were fewer secrets between them, so that helped them to open up to each other more and, at that point, they also had far more in common with each other than they used to. Trixie was actually excited for the chance to get her former father into all sorts of girly stuff.
{As for Missy . . . well . . . she was actually harder to read. She cooperated with her daughter, I know that, but I think she kept thinking about the fact that this version of her daughter was about to disappear and, unlike Trixie's normal tricks, she would not reappear this time. My instincts told me that Missy indulged what was essentially the other mare's last request before death, but deep down Missy maintained a bit of an emotional barrier against forming an attachment to somepony she knew she was about to lose.
{At first Sombra was reluctant to join the festivities at all. He didn't even want to leave the TARDIS. I had a pretty strong hunch that he felt that way out of a continual sense of guilt over what his future, original self did and that, in turn, caused him to feel he did not deserve this fun but, even after all this time, I think he was still surprised how much every other pony and creature really cared for him. That colt was really surrounded when it came to resistance to his reluctance to join, and I'm pretty sure that Princess Flurry Heart's opinion mattered to him the most. I have a feeling that when she expressed how nice it would be for him to join the others along with her, he probably interpreted that as a royal command in his own head even though it was actually intended as an innocent suggestion.
{Still, I'm glad he did join. Even that old grump warmed up to the idea over time, and he was even able to entertain the natives with brilliant crystal shows that actually left a permanent and welcome mark on the island.
{There are two other things I'd like to add about Sombra's stay on the island. One of them was the fact that he encountered a copy of Angel Song on that island, compliments of Discord. That actually was a big deal for him because it was the reason he later chose to remain on that island when the others left, living out the rest of his life with a virtual copy of his love.
{That, of course, leads to the second thing I need to mention. This version of her was willing to do that too, and that's basically what her original self would have gladly done anyway if her memories of him returned, which it did in this case. She always hung around him in the past in order to help her feel complete, and when I got to know her better with her original memories intact, it quickly occurred to me why the Doctor did not invite her to the ancient past. She was way too timid. This was similar to Fluttershy's emotional handicaps except Angel Song had lower self-esteem to boot. The Dark Star would have crushed her spirit far too easily to be an asset as an ally in the past. Left in a non-threatening environment, however, caused her to heal and flourish in spirit. She really was a delicate flower but, with the right conditions, she bloomed beautifully.
{We actually had another wedding for the second time in less than a week, but this time it was between the time clone past version of Sombra and his beautiful blushing bride Angel Song. That was definitely a valuable experience to add to my Red Crystal collection. In a way, this was all just a dream, but a beautiful dream that would one day help to restore the real Crystal Empire. How appropriate it was that their love for each other would one day help save every pony that they loved back at the Empire.
{Like I said, very noteworthy side points of our vacation here.}
“So Sombra and Angel Song are still there on that island after you left?” Star Breeze asked hopefully with rising gushy excitement.
“Maybe,” Feather Wind informed, “or they left the island together. Who knows? I can easily picture them retiring there for the rest of their days, probably entertaining other customers that visit the island. He with his wondrous crystal magic, and her with her heavenly voice. He had with him what he cared about the most, and he also knew I had the Red Crystal with the intent to restore his beloved home back on Equestria. This was his paradise, and the best he could have hoped for under the circumstances. Angel Song was also happy to be with him, and that was enough to ensure their decision together. I always think of that when I compare it to the dark, alternate path his original self took. It felt reassuring that life found a way to sneak in a happy ending to their story somewhere. It just felt right seeing them together like that, and I felt immensely happy for them. I felt like something that was missing was finally whole again.
“Crystal Sage noticed this as well deep within the Red Crystal, and I felt, ever since, that yet another check mark got ticked off in his heart which would have prevented him from fully being ready for the next phase of his life. He didn't say much to me about this situation even when I asked him, but I felt a sense of peace from him when he regarded this.”
{I also find it ironic that the one pony who opposed the vacation the most also ended up the only one to permanently remain behind. Go figure. I'm pretty sure even he hadn't seen that one coming.
{Meanwhile, at my friend's request, I took lots of pictures with the Red Crystal and my magic. Your mother played lots of sports activities and, before you ask, NO! She did not cheat using her own enhancement magic. Remember, she enjoys a challenge and she has a firm sense of honor. If her opponents couldn't do what she could do, then she wouldn't consider using such powers herself. The point of those games was for every creature to have fun, and so it was.
{I'm actually not sure what the younger version of Vision was up to. I assume she meditated somewhere out there in a spiritually powerful place. I could easily imagine Somnambula doing that too, but no. She, too, hung out with her friends while she could. It honestly seemed like Vision was the only one content to remain in isolation, and I have a feeling she did it to explore her psychic visions towards . . . I don't know. Some end.
{As for the Doctor, he could prove almost as rambunctious as Pinkie Pie sometimes since he had nearly as much energy. Recall the fact that, similar to the time clones, the Doctor also appeared to be immune to the need for sleep so he had the time of his lives on that island.
{Derpy mostly hung out with him but, upon various requests, she also hung out with some of her other more feminine friends to do what girls normally do when they're alone together. I assume you'll find out what that's like someday.
{And, for once, this blessed vacation was born under a lucky star because no serious disaster or monsters or villains tried to crash the party. I kept expecting it to happen eventually, especially with the likes of Discord and Missy prowling about, but the worst they did was perform a few pranks. Don't discount that. They wouldn't be themselves without a few evil deeds here and there, but overall the entire experience was benign for once.
{Which brings me to my conclusion. Our friends gathered together faithfully back at the TARDIS at the end of that week except for Sombra, and even he met up with us at the door but standing outside of it with his new wife. We said our goodbyes to him there then took off.
{This time, as those in the TARDIS faced their end together, they did so in good cheer, for they felt very uplifted by the wonderful and fun vacation they just shared together.
{As the moment drew near, I also recall them singing together. Twilight Sparkle started it but it was quickly picked up by the others. It was a short song but deeply meaningful note for them to go out with, though I'll have to say the lyrics were a bit modified to include the various species that were part of our journey together, and it went like this.}
“Equestria, the land I love
A land of harmony
Our flag does wave from high above
For all creatures to see
Equestria, a land of love
Where friendly kind do roam
They say true friendship never ends
Equestria, my home.”
{That song was practically a national anthem of ours and we sang it many times during our journey north to help lift our spirits in times of need and, during that time as they stood in the TARDIS, they sang it again to remind each other how united they were. I stood on the rail overlooking them all and thanked them all for the help and comfort they provided after all these years. They smiled up at me and hugged each other as they regarded me while they faded away, leaving behind them very special memories that I will always cherish. The Red Crystal, too, absorbed the emotions of that moment which would come in hoofy later on in unexpected ways.}